Killing Them Softly (2012)

Killing Them Softly Synopsis

Adapted from George V. Higgins novel and set in New Orleans, Coganís Trade follows professional enforcer, Jackie Cogan (Pitt), who investigates a heist that occurs during a high stakes, mob-protected, poker game. The film also features Scoot McNairy (Monsters), Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom), Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), with James Gandolfini, Vincent Curatola, Max Casella, Sam Shepard and Bella Heathcote among others.

Killing Them Softly had a fairly low presence at the box office, but those who saw the Brad Pitt vehicle mostly had nice things to say about the film. If you would like to join the ranks of critics and audiences who have caught the film, youíll be able to do so when Killing Them Softly hits Blu-ray and DVD on March 26.

For a second weekend in a row newcomers had a cold reception at the box office. The top six from last weekend each held on to their respective places, dropping between 40%-60% each, but still earning enough to stave off the competition.

With so many titles to choose from, Netflix Instant's library can be overwhelming. And so we offer this column as a tool to cut through the clutter by highlighting some now streaming titles that pair nicely with the latest theatrical releases.

Here's something you probably wouldn't expect given the reputation of the holiday season for creating giant movie hits. No film released the weekend after Thanksgiving has opened to more than $10 million since 2005, when that dubious honor went to Aeon Flux. This weekend won't change the pattern

If you are like me, you woke Friday morning (and again on Saturday) in a caloric fog, with gravy stains splattered across your cardigan, little clumps of hardened mashed potato stuck to your shoes and cranberry sauce in places I dare not mention. I had a Thanksgiving food-induced blackout, which is all to say: man I love that holiday

You are forgiven for possibly not being aware that Andrew Dominikís Killing Them Softly opens on Nov. 30. The hardboiled crime noir hasnít received 1/10th of the promotion of a Skyfall. Perhaps itís because The Weinstein Company doesnít believe Dominikís reunion with Brad Pitt is awards worthy?

Dominik seems to see that side of Pitt that directors like David Fincher and Guy Ritchie love to exploit, but that the tabloids avoid. For such a handsome dude, heís grizzled and tough and domineering in ways you wouldnít expect. And heís rarely afraid to get down in the mud and play for the benefit of a well-oiled crime story.

When it comes to cool modern movie posters, few if any, have a leg up on Mondo. The Austin, Texas-based art company regularly has its artists commissioned to create pieces for upcoming films, and their designs are just about always better than anything the studio comes up with. This time The Weinstein Company has hired the folks at Mondo to create three new one-sheets for the gangster movie Killing Them Softly...

While the last few months of the year are what Hollywood designates as "Oscar Season," there is one weekend that is always a total bummer: the first weekend of December. For whatever reason the movie industry treats this one particular three day stretch like the plague.

When you have Brad Pitt starring in your movie, you don't need much else in terms of marketing it. Killing Them Softly is Andrew Dominik's anticipated follow-up The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

When it comes to Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly, the most recent news has been bad news. While the film made its world premiere a few months ago at the Cannes Film Festival, it was recently announced that The Weinstein Company pushed the film back on the released schedule, moving it from September 21st to October 19th.

Unfortunately, with the good news of The Master being moved up comes bad news that Andrew Dominik's next film, Killing Them Softly, will be pushed back. While the crime thriller was originally going to make it to theaters on September 21st, the trade says that it has been moved back to October 19th. The film will be competing against both Alex Cross, starring Tyler Perry and Matthew Fox, and Paranormal Activity 4.

A reunion between Pitt and Dominik, who previously worked together on The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Killing Them Softly stars Brad Pitt as Jackie Cogan, a mob enforcer who is called in to head an investigation when a mafia-run poker game gets held up. The film's cast also includes Sam Shepard, James Gandolfini, Scoot McNairy, Ray Liotta, and Richard Jenkins.

While they are a bit overdone, there is something inherently fun about minimalist posters. It's an interesting idea to try and take even the most complex pieces of work and simplify them into basic images that tell you everything that you need to know about them or capture the one element that everyone on the planet will recognize. It's a bit strange to reverse engineer that process, by promoting a movie that nobody has seen using a minimalist design...

Man, do I love the way that this was shot. There are many directors who would have just cut and put the camera inside the trailer to watch the struggle, but by keeping the audience outside we are shocked every time a window breaks or a door comes crashing open. I'm also now very curious to know what exactly Ray Liotta's character did to Sam Shepherd's. My bet is that it wasn't something good.

Do you prefer the new title? Iím on the fence. At the very least, Coganís Trade sounded more original, more distinctive. Killing Them Softly calls to mind a Lifetime movie of the week, perhaps starring Dana Delaney or Valerie Bertinelli. Then again, we didnít quite know what Cogan was trading in the first title. At the very least, both titles are far shorter than the full name of Pitt and Dominikís last effort, so the poster designer already is in their debt.